Information, topic by topic, on prisons across the world

January 26, 2017

UK: Dartmoor Prison, an insider's story

News

United Kingdom

The prison system is in crisis, with riots, drug abuse and record levels of suicide. But what is life really like for the 85,000 prisoners in our jails? Jessica Berens was writer-in-residence at HMP Dartmoor for three years and has the inside story.

January 26, 2017

United Kingdom: record number of prison inmates killed themselves in England and Wales in 2016

News

United Kingdom

A record number of people killed themselves in prisons in England and Wales in 2016, official figures show.

January 25, 2017

United Kingdom: Minister of Justice launches inquiry after record number of prison suicides in 2016

News

Suicide United Kingdom

Review to look into mental health history of fatalities in England and Wales as number of self-inflicted deaths rises to 113

January 24, 2017

Britain’s prison suicide crisis: ‘There’s no political will. Dead prisoners do not win votes’

News

Health Suicide United Kingdom

Almost 10 prisoners a month kill themselves in UK jails, with much of the blame placed on neglect and costcutting. That is what led to the death of Dean Saunders, according to his family – and a jury has agreed.

January 18, 2017

United Kingdom: Jersey prisoners granted the right to vote

News

United Kingdom

Giving Jersey prisoners the right to vote is ‘the right thing to do’, according to the head of Jersey’s Probation Service.

January 10, 2017

United Kingdom: almost 80 Northern Ireland prison officers assaulted in a year, figures reveal

News

United Kingdom

Nearly 80 prison officers were attacked in Northern Ireland during the past year, new figures have revealed.

January 5, 2017

UK : Thorn Cross open prison praised by inspectors

News

Facilities United Kingdom

An open prison in Cheshire is well-led, with very good outcomes for prisoners and few violent incidents, according to Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke. HMP and YOI Thorn Cross in Warrington, which houses about 380 inmates, was inspected in October last year.

January 4, 2017

United Kingdom: Northern Ireland prison system fatalities double in a year

News

United Kingdom

The number of deaths in the prison system has doubled in the past year.

January 3, 2017

Wales : Christmas Day 'incident' at Cardiff prison

News

United Kingdom

Officers at Cardiff prison had to resolve a Christmas Day disturbance, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

January 2, 2017

United Kingdom: prisons shakeup to give governors more control over rehabilitation

News

United Kingdom

Legislation to tackle jails crisis will hand staff greater powers over education, employment and health budgets.

December 19, 2016

UK : government was warned two months earlier Birmingham prison riot

News

Violence United Kingdom

Ministers were told urgent action was needed to protect staff and prisoners amid growing violence in prisons. The government was warned two months before a riot at HMP Birmingham involving hundreds of prisoners that the prevalence of psychoactive drugs meant urgent action was needed to prevent atta…

December 17, 2016

UK : around 240 prisoners moved from HMP Birmingham

News

United Kingdom

Decision follows rioting by inmates – UK’s worst since 1990 – which is believed to be linked to use of synthetic cannabis. Hundreds of inmates were moved from Birmingham prison on Saturday as the government announced an urgent investigation into conditions and safety inside the privately run jail f…

December 16, 2016

Nouvelle mutinerie dans une prison anglaise

News

Protest Violence United Kingdom

Sorry, this article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.

December 15, 2016

UK : Our prisons are overflowing with immature and vulnerable men

News

United Kingdom

Young men don’t mature psychologically until their mid-20s. Condemning so many to the toxic environment of our jails is a recipe for reoffending and suicide.

December 15, 2016

UK : privatisation of probation service has left public at greater risk – report

News

United Kingdom

Chief inspector of probation says some offenders not seen for months and some lost in the system entirely. The public have been left more at risk by the privatisation of the probation service with some offenders not seen for weeks or months and others lost in the system altogether, according to an…

December 8, 2016

UK : Prison Reform Trust report claims overcrowded jails 'more likely' to fail

News

Overcrowding United Kingdom

The most overcrowded prisons in England and Wales are twice as likely to be rated as failing, a new report claims. According to the Prisons Reform Trust, nearly two thirds of prisons are overfull, with jails holding more than 10,000 inmates than they were built to.

December 8, 2016

UK : Our prison restraint techniques can kill children.

News

Europe Minors Discipline Torture United Kingdom

Tuesday the Ministry of Justice had been told that the restraint techniques it had approved for use on children in custody could kill them. A risk assessment carried out by an independent medical adviser concluded that 28 of the 66 sanctioned restraints had a 40% to 60% chance of resulting in injur…

December 3, 2016

UK : why are prison suicides still increasing?

News

Suicide United Kingdom

When Carl tried to kill himself in prison, he says he was angling for a quick escape – he thought about spending years with a rock hammer digging a tunnel, Shawshank-style, but ultimately decided that he couldn’t face the commitment. He waited for his 9AM check, and knew from six years of prison ex…

November 29, 2016

UK : regime at HMP Hindley one of worst ever seen, say prison inspectors

News

United Kingdom

Damning report criticises category C jail’s treatment of inmates with some locked in their cells for more than 24 hours at a time. The regime at the category C Hindley jail near Wigan is “one of the worst and possibly one of the very worst that inspectors had ever seen in this type of prison”, an o…

November 17, 2016

UK : Liz Truss to resume Prison Officers Association talks

News

Europe United Kingdom

Justice Secretary Liz Truss will restart talks with the prison officers’ union later amid claims the service in England and Wales is “in meltdown”. On Tuesday, up to 10,000 prison officers in England and Wales stopped work over claims of a “surge in violence” among inmates.

November 15, 2016

UK : prison officers end protest after court order

News

United Kingdom

Prison officers have returned to work after a High Court injunction ordered them to end a 24-hour protest.Up to 10,000 prison officers in England and Wales stopped work over claims of a “surge in violence” in jails. Granting the injunction, Mr Justice Kerr said prison officers’ action had created a…

November 15, 2016

Why the UK prison service is in crisis, by a former inmate

News

United Kingdom

The state of prisons in England and Wales isn’t something that often makes the national news agenda. In fact, it’s usually only when something has gone really badly wrong that our prison system makes the front pages. After recent riots and prisoner escapes, such as the two inmates who were on the r…

November 8, 2016

UK : As a prison doctor I’ve seen the crisis in jails – half the inmates shouldn’t be there.

News

United Kingdom

The riots at Bedford prison show the problems facing institutions. We need to stop locking up addicts and people who are mentally ill

November 8, 2016

UK : Austerity will unleash mayhem. Prison breakouts are just the start.

News

United Kingdom

The consequences of cuts made years ago are now becoming visible: rising food poverty, failing flood defences and disorder in the prison system.